Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-01-30
A school Girl on Pericles.

DEAR SIFTINGs:-I read q piece on Peri
eles on the stage at school, with a white
dress on, low cut, and cOrsage bouquet. l
wrote the piece on Pericles. because 1
thought it appropriate at this juncture. l
had it on pink paper, with q blue ribbon on
the end, and everybody said it was too cute
for anything, and ought to be printed. l
was going u send ii TO the Century, Dut
ma said they would not take it because 1t
did not have anything in about the battle
of Shiloh or the Bull Run. L did think OF
putting in something about Pericles at the
hattie of Shiloh and send 1t. l o think
the editors would have known
any better, do you? For don't think
Perieles knew any more about that battle
han they did. This is the way l wrote
it, and when l got through reading, | got
ever so many nice bouquets from the
people. They were real expensive, too;
pa paid over $40 for them. But this Is
the way ! wrote: Pericles was an
Athenian. He rose on the troubled sea
of those times like the radiant exotic flower
of the prairie. He was q second Henry
George. He saw the basilisk eye of avis
tocracy was casting its fatal upas tree poi
sonous gloom upon the people. He saw
the gigantic obstacle, but like the heroic
Lucius Quintius Curtius, he leaped in that
chasm to save the people. In youth he
excelled in equestrian games; in fact, he
had numerous offers from circuses to dis
play his skill tumbling and driving stakes
and sleeping on the band ~wagon-but he
scOrned their offers.
He was q great athlete at the Olympic
games, and always carried of the pewter
mug. He was especially fond of fighting
the Numidian lions and trucking the tiger.
With these accomplishments to back HIM
he concluded to run for Mayor. He was
well qualified, for he knew but little, be-
ing a lawyer by profession. He got the
nomination for Mayor in spite Of the
Doodle and ~mOnOpolistS and underhand
trickery which is always employed against
a candidate. He turned ever a new Leaf
and became very humble. lie usually
dressed in Il second hand quilt
or a Government blanket and
went ~barefOoted, aud wore a laurel
crown for a hat. He eSchewed tobacco,
stOre-made clothes, and \ three-dollaI
plug hat like ordinary candidates use, and
would not sit on store boxes and talk
politics. He stayed in the house and
wrote labor articles and never went out,
only to 90 to the ~postotfice OF slip in 4
saloon near his dOmiclle for his usual
portion of liver regulator.
His liver was always ont OF order, for
they had no patent medicine in those
DAYS. lie was elected by a large majority,
but it did not make him proud, for he
still dressed in his Government blanket.
He set about to reform the state of society.
He found the city beset by New
York Aldermen and ~mOnopolies,
and these evils had caused such
inequality among the people that he say
he must refOrm the Government. He found
that some men were able to get drunk on
- cent drinks while others bad to content
themselves with hard cider; and som
could dress in purple and fine linen and eat
quail on toast, while the rest were Obliged
to fare and look like a multitude of edi.
tors. He made them Il speech and said
Fellow citizens, We are too unequal % bt
brothers. We must be equal and we will
be as happy rs when, in the days oil child
hood, we would suck the same stick Of
tally and chew the same gum together.
We must redivide the land
PericleS had Il farm of two acres which
he divided, and then divided Harlicon'S
farm of II thousand acres among himSelI
and others. lie allowed each citizen IN
equal amount ofland, and made them quit
the use OF lUXurleS; no n was allowed
to drink Tom and Jerry or wear store
clothes, and i plug hat was 4 felony,
! Money was made ofiron. The consequence
WAS that no Atheniln cashiers went to Can
ada, and the exercise required to wheel {
wheelbarrow load OF money to the grocery
man for u pound OF coffee, made the either
stout and rugged. Any ordinary either
would have been able to knock John Sui
Ivan out of time.
Pericles returned one evening from Ar
cadia and made the rcmark-Arcadia was
in the suburbs: Arcadia looks, mcthinkS,
like one vast estate divided among brother,
and left to them by a father who made nc
will, so peaceful and happy are they
We come now TO the most disastrous epoch
in IL hero's life. Mr.. Pericles died. lie
did not die of Bright'S Kidney Disease, as
do most eminent men, hut Of Il plain, Ordi-
nary disease, which we think most appro-
pirate for one of his humility and love fol
the people.
We will not write any more about Peri
cles now, and we only send this to show
that a girl can learn just rs much about
politics rs some men. You must not re-
ward us in any way, for if you did, We
would feel compelled to turn it over to the
conscience fund. The delight we take in
delving in historic lore is ample pay. We
will send you some more the neXt time we
delye.
What DO you think ofmy handwriting
And do got think ought 10 write on pink
paper with perfume on it; Some one told
me You were fastidiOus. ! am Is. DO YOU
think ! am old enough to receive gentle
man company? VANILLA JONES.